SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team) claimed a historic 1–0 victory over England at Wembley Stadium on Tuesday 31 March in the KIRIN WORLD CHALLENGE 2026 international friendly.

England, who had swept through the European qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup 2026 with a perfect record and without conceding a goal, arrived for the match ranked fourth in the world (as of 19 January), significantly above Japan in 19th. Facing one of the tournament favourites, head coach MORIYASU Hajime set the tone pre-match: to test what Japan can do against one of the best teams in the world, while aiming for victory and assessing their current level.

Japan lined up in the same 3-4-2-1 system used against Scotland three days earlier, but with eight changes to the starting XI. GK was again SUZUKI Zion (Parma Calcio 1913), while the back three comprised WATANABE Tsuyoshi (Feyenoord) on the right, TANIGUCHI Shogo (Sint-Truidense VV) centrally, and ITO Hiroki (Bayern Munich) on the left, with Watanabe and Ito starting for the second consecutive match.

In midfield, SANO Kaishu (Mainz 05) partnered KAMADA Daichi (Crystal Palace) in a double pivot, with DOAN Ritsu (Eintracht Frankfurt) and NAKAMURA Keito (Stade de Reims) deployed as wing-backs. Further forward, ITO Junya (KRC Genk) operated on the right of the two attacking midfield roles, MITOMA Kaoru (Brighton & Hove Albion) on the left, supporting lone striker UEDA Ayase (Feyenoord). With the exception of Sano, the line-up featured the majority of players who came on in the second half against Scotland and lifted the tempo of the game.

As expected, England began on the front foot, pinning Japan deep in their own half in the opening stages. However, Japan’s defensive organisation held firm and prevented any decisive chances. In the 13th minute, England produced consecutive shots from a corner, but Japan’s defenders threw themselves into blocks to keep the score level. The back line maintained a high level of concentration, while Sano covered the pitch extensively to extinguish danger at its source.

Japan struck in the 23rd minute with a brilliantly executed counter-attack. Tracking back, Mitoma applied pressure to Cole PALMER, forcing a turnover, with Kamada reacting quickest to collect the loose ball and immediately feed it back into Mitoma’s path. The play then shifted to the left, where Nakamura carried the ball forward with a sharp dribble before delivering a driven low cross into a crowded penalty area. Timing his run to perfection, Mitoma arrived to guide a composed first-time finish with his right foot into the net, giving Japan the lead.

From regaining possession to finding the net, the move was executed seamlessly and without hesitation—an outstanding embodiment of Japan’s long-cultivated principles of “good defence leading to good attack” and coordinated, interconnected movement.

England responded with waves of pressure, determined to avoid defeat on home soil, and Japan were forced to spend long spells deep inside their own half. Even so, their concentration never wavered. In the 78th minute, Suzuki Zion produced a vital save from point-blank range to deny Marcus RASHFORD, and in the 83rd minute, SUGAWARA Yukinari (Werder Bremen) cleared a goal-bound header from Harry MAGUIRE off the line following a corner.

The closing stages, particularly after the 80th minute, proved extremely demanding, but Japan maintained their focus and discipline. Holding on to their lead, they managed to see the game out until the final whistle to secure a historic victory at Wembley.

Reflecting on the UK tour, which saw Japan face two World Cup-qualified nations, Moriyasu commented:

“Both against Scotland and today, while making extensive use of substitutions, we showed that a greater number of players can express the team’s core concepts. Even during matches, substitutes are able to connect with the starting players, adapt to the situation, and maintain our structure while still being able to achieve results, which we consider this one of our strengths.

At the same time, in today’s match we had opportunities to score a second goal and must be more decisive in those moments. Although we kept a clean sheet, we faced many dangerous situations, and reducing those is also something we must address going forward.”

Under Moriyasu, Japan’s record against European opposition now stands at seven wins and one draw, remaining unbeaten. With group-stage fixtures at the FIFA World Cup 2026™ set to include European sides such as Netherlands and Sweden, this tour of the UK has provided a valuable opportunity to build confidence as a team.

Coach and Players' Comments

MORIYASU Hajime, Head Coach of SAMURAI BLUE (Japan National Team)
We anticipated that winning at Wembley would be extremely difficult. The players worked every day during this camp to improve the team, and the staff provided the best possible support to raise both physical condition and tactical understanding. Our thorough commitment to the basics and attention to detail in our preparation led to today’s result. As expected, there were many phases where we were under pressure from England, but the players endured those difficult moments patiently and made the most of the chance they created. Throughout the match, they maintained concentration and fulfilled both their individual roles and our collective organisation until the very end.

MF/FW #7 MITOMA Kaoru (Brighton & Hove Albion/England)
We wanted our approach to come off and ideally score in the first half, and doing so helped align our mindset and gave us confidence that we could continue playing our way. I don’t know if it will work this well at the tournament, but if we can create those kinds of situations, we’ve shown we have the quality to score even with limited numbers. As for winning at Wembley, I don’t think it’s necessarily a good thing ahead of the tournament, as it makes us easier for opponents to analyse. The result itself is very good, but in terms of performance, we allowed them to control possession, and unless we close that gap, we could struggle at the World Cup.

MF/FW #13 NAKAMURA Keito (Stade de Reims/France)
I could have taken it myself, but it was difficult to force it in that situation, and I also saw Mitoma free when I cut inside. It was a difficult pass, but he finished it well, so I’m pleased. Being able to play on the same side as Mitoma is a real pleasure. He is so good at everything and it’s so fun playing with him. He feeds me plenty of passes and I feel like he’s on a completely different level, both in terms of defence and attack. I really enjoyed playing this match.

MF/FW #24 SANO Kaishu (Mainz 05/Germany)
Being able to take a 1–0 lead in a game where a scoreless draw at halftime was acceptable was very significant. In the second half, there were aspects of our approach we could have adjusted, but it was good that we defended patiently as a team and managed to see the game out for the win. They pressed aggressively from the front and were almost man-to-man in midfield, so I think I could have done better in deciding whether to receive the ball myself or make movements as if to receive and create space for others. We want to keep building on what we’ve developed so far, while addressing the issues that arise each match and continuing to grow as a team.

Fixture: SAMURAI BLUE vs England National Team
Date: Tue. 31 March, 19:45 (Wed. 1 April, 3:45 Japan time)
Venue: Wembley Stadium, London, England
Match information

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